One Year Until London 2012

Emin with past posters

To mark one year to go to the London 2012 Festival, acclaimed artist Tracey Emin has today been announced as one of the 12 British artists chosen to design the official London 2012 posters.

Tracey Emin is one of 12 leading British artists who will design an official poster for London 2012.

Alongside Emin, Fiona Banner, Michael Craig-Martin, Martin Creed, Anthea Hamilton, Howard Hodgkin, Gary Hume, Sarah Morris, Chris Ofili, Bridget Riley, Bob and Roberta Smith and Rachel Whiteread will each create a poster.

They will be shown in a free exhibition at Tate Britain as part of the London 2012 Festival, and will go on sale this autumn.

Seven million to enjoy free London 2012 Festival events

Over seven million people will have the opportunity to enjoy free cultural events during the Festival, which takes place between 21 June – 9 September 2012 as the finale of the Cultural Olympiad.

The Festival will feature leading artists including Leona Lewis, Toni Morrison and Mike Leigh, providing a summer of celebration for people across the UK.

Other events announced today include:

a special comedy season at the Hackney Empire; 

a free light and fire spectacular by Les Commandos Percus on the shores of Lake Windermere; 

an immersive theatre show for young Doctor Who fans by Punchdrunk; and 

specially-commissioned film events from the British Film Institute. 

Tickets will be available through the Festival website from October 2011. A number of Festival projects tickets are already on sale, including a Pina Bausch retrospective at Sadler's Wells and Philip Glass's 'Einstein on the Beach' at the Barbican. 

Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair, said: 'We always said that the culture programme would be part of the London 2012 experience. What you can see today is even more evidence that the London 2012 Festival programme for next year will showcase the incredible creative talent we have here in the UK. Millions will be able to get involved all across the UK, the vast majority for free; it will be a fitting finale for the Cultural Olympiad.'

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London said: 'A year from today, on Midsummer’s day, the festivities will begin with the launch of the London 2012 Festival. The capital will be alive with extraordinary music, art, poetry, performance – a festival on a scale never before seen to celebrate the greatest sporting show on earth.'

Tickets for a number of London 2012 Festival projects are already on sale, with all the latest information available at the London 2012 Festival website.